FROM

Veggie Happy created
Veggie Happy Day as a way to honor and celebrate the
power of customer feedback.

Itís been our experience that fan feedback at
the ballparks played a key role in helping us open the door to vegan options
there. Just think if everyone took the time to chime in at the food
establishments they frequent (or donít frequent for that matter, because of
the lack of options), what a wave of positive change that could create!

We selected January 10 as Veggie Happy Day (formerly Soy Happy Day) for
two reasons:

Major League Baseball stadiums are about to begin the process of
reviewing their menus for the coming season, and now is the optimal time for
fans to begin chiming in with their suggestions and feedback on vegan food
items they want them to either keep, change or add. Theyíll be looking at
all fan comments and suggestions as part of their considerations starting
now through spring training. (Four MLB stadiums remain without a veggie
dog/vegan frankfurter on the regular concessions menu as of last season: the
Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and St. Louis
Cardinals.)

Itís a fabulous way to start the new year with a feeling of hope, pride and
accomplishment, no matter what food establishments you decide to contact.
You might be surprised at the difference your one comment can make!

When you offer your feedback, consider a couple of other things, too. Itís
not enough for vegan items to be available; they have to be clearly and
easily evident on the menu, and all staff should be aware of their
availability and locations. After all, if customers donít know these options
are available, they wonít sell the way they could or should, and are
sometimes destined to fail as a result. Veggie Happy has had the unfortunate
experience of receiving emails from frustrated fans who know vegan options
are supposed to be available at a given stadium (having checked our Venue
Vegetarian Guide), but still have a hard time tracking them down. How is
that situation going to generate any sales?

Recent headlines about McDonalds eschewing veggie burgers because ďno one
buys themĒ is another example. They state that they tested veggie burgers in
certain markets and didnít generate adequate sales. First, this was back in
2003, so thereís some catching-up to do, but also, how big a promotion did
they create to ensure that customers realized they were available?

Burger King has been offering veggie burgers since 2002 and guess what?
Any group of people with a vegetarian in its midst has likely chosen Burger
King over McDonalds every time. The Vegetarian Resource Group calls this
ďthe vegetarian veto vote,Ē and itís a powerful vote indeed. One person will
divert an entire group of diners to another location that offers a viable
option for that individual, causing the other establishment to lose out on
ďmainstreamĒ customers as well. (It merits noting, by the way, that the BK
Veggie Burger is not vegan. Itís a sponsored product, meaning that the brand
pays big bucks for the privilege of being named. When sponsorship is
involved, it can take a while to change, so all the more reason for them to
receive and compile customer requests for a vegan brand instead.)

Chipotle offers a totally different example in its approach to offering
vegan options. It has done a fabulous job of actively and widely promoting
their new Sofritas menu and ensuring that signage is clear and well
positioned so customers recognize it exists. Itís no surprise that their
vegan Sofritas are doing well.

The same is true for the ballparks. Seattleís Safeco Field saw sales of
Field Roast vegan frankfurters spike 700% over its previous generic veggie
dogs during one season, in part because it actively promoted the new menu
item (including custom vegan topping options) and made sure fans were aware
it existed. This should be an example to all ballparks.

Whether you contact a ballpark or another foodservice establishment for
Veggie Happy Day, consider these basic questions: Do they offer what you
want? If they do, is it easy for all customers to know itís available? Chime
in and let your voice be heard. Sometimes just one fanís suggestion has made
the difference in as large a venue as an MLB or NFL stadium.

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